Thoughts on this car please.

[Weekend Warrior]

Still looking for my first car ,seen a few but nothing that really stands out ,I've seen this one on eBay and would appreciate your thoughts .

The Q plate doesn't bother me and if it goes for reasonable money I could fit a full cage on it and have a bit of spare cash to play with ,what do those in the know think it's worth and any thing to watch out for .Needless to say I'd go for a viewing before I made a bid but what should I look out for.

Come to think of it if it were my car I'd mot it (costs soda all anyway)and take people for a test drive wouldn't you ?

Call me cynical but could they be hiding something ?

thanks 

Steve

[Terryathome]

Err what car? Link missing

[Weekend Warrior]

Oops !

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-SE-HUGE-SPEC-thousands-spent-caterham-dax-c20xe-/192204649901?hash=item2cc04a35ad:g:zrcAAOSwlMFZMHA1

[Thrustyjust]

That looks nice . But I would always travel and have a look see. Take pound notes, that usually makes people finish auctions quicker. Be quick to look though, as others are probably doing the same. I am guessing a live axle car being an SE . Awaits others to confirm,

[6carjon]

Looks ok, did you notice it's a straight cut box which is great for track but limited for road use? Engine is highly tuned and looks to have all the right bits but it's on the limit for an engine of this type for longevity. 

Not sure what brakes and dampers it has ?

Looks like an older car with a great hi spec engine. If you can get it at a good price and factor in finishing it and using for track days give it a look over.

Once you mot it and start using it regularly keep some cash for the inevitable customisation to make it yours. It looks to me like a great idea by the owner he never finished yet.....

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

SE is live yes, but sometimes people get confused about what SE and SEi mean... (it also is the standard width, later referred to as a narrow.)

Theres lots of expensive stuff on there, and though one or two areas look un finished? Or perhaps just opened up for service, the general quality of the work looks decent enough, though photos can be deceiving.

its very track orientated though, straight cut boxes can get old news for road use... (They're loud!) Also note that the various updates and upgrades have left the bodywork a little chopped about. Not a deal breaker, but might affect the price.

Spaking of bodywork, it's the earlier style, known as "Kit bodywork", current ZK and FW bodywork parts aren't a direct fit. Though some stuff is still available for narrows, I think.

Get that at a good price though, and assuming it is mechanically straight, it could be a real cracker.

As far as someone going the little extra distance and getting it roadworthy goes. It's a bit of an odd one with stuff like Westfields, you'd just think people would do it every time, for an easier sale and a better price, but it never fails to amaze me how many, when they decide to sell, almost sort of down tools where they stand and walk away! So there's not necessarily anything untoward, though personally I'd always prefer a test drive.

 

[Weekend Warrior]

8 minutes ago, 6carjon said:

Looks ok, did you notice it's a straight cut box which is great for track but limited for road use? Engine is highly tuned and looks to have all the right bits but it's on the limit for an engine of this type for longevity 

Don't know a lot about mechanicals but had thought it strange that the area around the gear stick was open,or does that mean nothing ? I'm looking for a bit of a B road car that would be good for a few track days ,when you say it's limited for road use what do you mean by that ,excuse my ignorance I'm new .

i know it's a how long is a piece of string kind of thing but what in your opinion would be a fair price for the car considering the cost of the things you would want to do to make it right for road and occasional track use ? 

[Thrustyjust]

Straight cut boxes whine , like a woman without a new pair of shoes . Depends what you want in a car. Wear earplugs or white noise plugs etc. Some people can take SC boxes, but if you wanted just a plain road car, then either buy, sell box and fit a close ratio replacement and probably come quits with labour when selling the old box etc or `just suck it and see.

[AdamR]

Definitely got some nice bits on it!

Gearbox - if the 5th is semi helical like 'normal' then it could be fine on the road, personal preference as had been said. Mines like that and I love it, drama and whine when you're booting it, quiet when cruising

 

[Weekend Warrior]

9 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

SE is live yes, but sometimes people get confused about what SE and SEi mean... (it also is the standard width, later referred to as a narrow.)

Theres lots of expensive stuff on there, and though one or two areas look un finished? Or perhaps just opened up for service, the general quality of the work looks decent enough, though photos can be deceiving.

its very track orientated though, straight cut boxes can get old news for road use... (They're loud!) Also note that the various updates and upgrades have left the bodywork a little chopped about. Not a deal breaker, but might affect the price.

Spaking of bodywork, it's the earlier style, known as "Kit bodywork", current ZK and FW bodywork parts aren't a direct fit. Though some stuff is still available for narrows, I think.

Get that at a good price though, and assuming it is mechanically straight, it could be a real cracker.

As far as someone going the little extra distance and getting it roadworthy goes. It's a bit of an odd one with stuff like Westfields, you'd just think people would do it every time, for an easier sale and a better price, but it never fails to amaze me how many, when they decide to sell, almost sort of down tools where they stand and walk away! So there's not necessarily anything untoward, though personally I'd always prefer a test drive.

 

Thanks Dave well described ,if it's a narrow body it'd be no good to me I'm too tall and wide .

Im going to get to my next local meet ,however if you hear of a car set up for a bigger driver that's suitable for a good blast on B roads and  track days ,let me know .

budget between 8 -15, for the right car

 

steve

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I think it's an earlier chassis, maybe a live axle, as Justin said, though it does say Cosworth 7 1/2" diff which suggests an Independant rear, but also a narrow. They weren't originally designed with the five speed Type 9 gearbox in mind. The Type 9 is slightly longer, and can be a wee bit more awkward to fit in the chassis.

It looks like it's got some kind of home-brew remote gear lever extension to move the lever back to a convenient point in the tunnel. I rather suspect the panel might just not fit back over the top of it! Or it may just be coincidence that it's been removed for some reason.

The type of gears used in the box really make a loud whining sound, this will be worse still with an open tunnel top. I suspect that is going to be a very loud car, you'd need earplugs to drive it for any length of time. (Trust me, I had a similar engine, straight cut gearbox and not disimilar exhaust, and over the ten years or so I ran the car in that Spec on the road, I did damage my hearing. But then by the time I realised and started using ear plugs as well as a helmet, it was too late.

Great fun car though, and that engine Spec can be made quite liveable with on the road. Though again, things like having a twin plate clutch do suggest more of a track bias, and might be a bit heavy and snatch for normal road use.

[Thrustyjust]

Quite a fragmented MOT according to DVLA with only 3 available and registered for 1st Jan 1971  Strange on a Q to have this .

[6carjon]

If your not a mechanics, genius, I am not either,I would look elsewhere. For your budget I suspect there is a great car to you probably even in our for sale section.

I would look for an s.e.i. wide body and independent axle and a Ford engine sets or duractec  as these are modern, well supported and readily available, lower maintenance too. 

You should get 200bhp no problem for your money or lower power and cost in the lovely mx5 engines that are rightly popular. So cheap some people buy several std engines and gearboxes to stop out instead of repairing them 

Try your local meetings for advise and people are only too delighted you take an interest in their sad closeted lifestyle and are similarly afflicted with the desire to spend money in daft ways for a legal high. 

[6carjon]

Just now, 6carjon said:

If your not a mechanics, genius, I am not either,I would look elsewhere. For your budget I suspect there is a great car to you probably even in our for sale section.

I would look for an s.e.i. wide body and independent axle and a Ford engine zetec or duractec  as these are modern, well supported and readily available, lower maintenance too. 

You should get 200bhp no problem for your money or lower power and cost in the lovely mx5 engines that are rightly popular. So cheap some people buy several std engines and gearboxes to stop out instead of repairing them 

Try your local meetings for advise and people are only too delighted you take an interest in their sad closeted lifestyle and are similarly afflicted with the desire to spend money in daft ways for a legal high. 

 

[Martyn Vann - Warwickshire AO]

1 hour ago, Thrustyjust said:

Quite a fragmented MOT according to DVLA with only 3 available and registered for 1st Jan 1971  Strange on a Q to have this .

This date is correct for MOT. A Q plated kit car is tested as 1971 and only emissions tested as 1975.